Teenagers using steriods - Essay Example

S is suggested to be ddictive in some users nd especilly in teengers. In ddition, teengers often use other illicit drugs nd there is the risk for spred of heptitis nd HIV to originlly low-risk popultions through shring needles in S injection (DuRnt et l., 2003). S use in teengers my cuse premture closure of the growth pltes over the bones resulting in permnent short. The initition of S use hs mostly been found to tke plce sometime during teengers. The prevention of S use should therefore be considered n importnt tsk not only within sports but lso for the public t lrge.

The serch for risk nd protective fctors for S use in teengers is vitl. Rte of lifetime use mong United Sttes high-school students vries between 4% nd 12% for mles nd 0.5% nd 2% for femles (Bhrke et l., 1998). Lower figures hve been reported in other countries; rtes vry between 1.2% nd 3.2% for mles nd 0.2% nd 2.0% for femles in ustrli (Beel et l., 1998), for exmple. One report showed firly similr rte (12-month) in Cnd (4.1% in mles nd 1.5% in femles) (Cndin Centre for Drug-Free Sports, 2003).

Prevlence of S use mong frikns-speking sport prticipnts hs been reported to be in the sme rnge (e.g., 2.5%), wheres much lower rtes were found in the generl dolescent student popultion in South fric. Studies from different regions in Sweden hve provided vrying lifetime estimtes for dolescents: 5.8% for mles nd 1.0% for femles versus 2.1% nd 0.2%, respectively (Kindlundh et l., 1999). Substntil regionl differences hve lso been found in the U.S. s well s in South fric. With the exceptions of Cnd, ntionl dt re lcking.

The current knowledge bout S use, therefore, needs to be supplemented by lrge-scle nd ntionlly representtive smples from sites outside North meric. S reserch hs been mostly descriptive in nture. There hve been some ttempts t more theoreticlly driven reserch, but differing theoreticl perspectives hve rrely been contrsted. Theories of S use hve hd t lest three different viewpoints. First, mny studies hve tken sports perspective, nd these studies hve noted such motives s winning nd performing well in thletics.

Thus, the prevlence of S use mong top thletes hs been reported to be high in such sports s footbll, trck nd field, weight lifting, body building nd possibly lso self-defense sports nd mrtil rts (Fields et l., 2004). High rtes of use hve been found t subelite levels nd mong college nd high-school thletes (Bhrke et l., 1998). Second, muscles not only mke you win, they fit the present-dy body idel. For men, this body idel implies upper torso strength nd mesomorph body type. For women, this is defined s slimness, prticulrly from the wist down, coupled with lrge brests (Wichstrom, 2000).

To look good or to be big re the prime motives for S use mong gym-bsed weight triners nd mong the top two motives in the generl dolescent popultion. Eting problems nd concerns hve been found in mle body-builders nd S users. Possibly "reverse norexi" (Pope et l., 2000) nd hence S use hve prtly the sme etiology s eting disorders, including poor self-concept nd poor body stisfction. However, mong norml dolescents one of the prime motives for looking good is to enhnce one's chnces with the opposite gender, nd one could therefore